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Microplastics as pesticide vectors in soil: bridging aqueous insights to terrestrial co-contamination risks and ecosystem impacts
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This review of existing research finds that tiny plastic particles in soil can act like sponges, grabbing onto pesticides and helping them stick around longer, especially plastics that have started breaking down outdoors. That combo may stress soil organisms more than either pollutant alone, raising concerns about impacts on crops and, potentially, the food we eat, though more research is needed to confirm long-term risks.
Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) have emerged as pervasive soil contaminants with significant potential to alter the environmental fate and ecological impacts of co-occurring pesticides. This comprehensive review synthesizes current knowledge on MNP-pesticide interactions in terrestrial systems, bridging mechanistic insights from aquatic studies to soil-specific processes. We critically evaluate how MNP properties (polymer type, size, aging state) and environmental conditions (pH, temperature, organic matter) govern pesticide sorption through hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, π-π electron donor–acceptor forces, and electrostatic mechanisms. The review demonstrates that MNPs generally enhance pesticide persistence in soil, with aged MNPs exhibiting stronger vector effects than pristine particles. Ecotoxicological evidence reveals that MNP-pesticide co-exposure often exacerbates adverse effects on soil organisms through amplified oxidative stress, metabolic disruption, and altered bioaccumulation patterns, though outcomes are highly context-dependent. Critical knowledge gaps persist regarding field-realistic aging processes, size-specific adsorption isotherms under environmentally relevant conditions, and long-term impacts on plant health and food security. Future research must prioritize standardized methodologies for combined toxicity assessment, predictive modeling of co-contaminant transport, and development of risk assessment frameworks that account for the dynamic nature of weathered MNPs as pesticide vectors in agricultural ecosystems.
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Micro- and Nanoplastics–Pesticide Interactions in Agricultural Systems: Environmental Fate and Food Safety: A Critical Review
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This review of existing research finds that tiny plastic particles in soil can change how pesticides behave, sometimes making them more persistent or harmful. Scientists still don't know enough about how this combo of plastics and pesticides ends up in the food we eat, so more research is needed before we can fully judge the risk to human health.
Soil microplastics as carriers of organic pollutants: Sorption mechanisms and environmental behavior
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Tiny plastic bits in soil (from things like farm plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and traffic pollution) can act like magnets for pesticides and antibiotics, binding to them and changing how these chemicals move through the environment. This review of existing research shows that these plastic-pollutant combos can make harmful chemicals travel further, last longer, and become more available to soil creatures — potentially working their way up the food chain, into groundwater, and eventually onto our plates. The findings highlight why cutting down on plastic pollution in soil isn't just an environmental issue — it's a food safety and drinking water concern too.
Interactions of Microplastics with Pesticides in Soils and Their Ecotoxicological Implications
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This review examines how microplastics interact with pesticides in soil environments, finding that microplastics can sorb and transport pesticides, potentially altering their bioavailability and toxicity to soil organisms and ecosystems.
Microplastics as carriers of heavy metals and pesticides in agricultural soil
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Researchers review how microplastics in agricultural soils act as vectors for heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, using their high surface area and hydrophobicity to adsorb toxic compounds and increase their mobility and bioavailability, with cascading effects on soil structure, microbial communities, and food chain contamination.
Microplastics: Pesticide sorption and efficiency
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Tiny plastic particles in soil and water don't just sit there—they act like sponges that grab onto pesticides and antibiotics, changing how far these chemicals travel and how long they stick around in our environment. This matters because plastic pollution could be quietly making pesticide and antibiotic contamination worse or harder to predict in the food and water we rely on. The findings suggest that safety assessments for these chemicals should start factoring in microplastic pollution, since the plastics themselves may be changing the risks.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.